You might say to the children, if you want to draw a picture, you might draw a picture of a person saying goodbye to a good friend, or maybe to a family member. That's really what we're dealing with in this section. 2 Timothy 4, verse 9, on to verse 22. Make every effort to come to me soon, for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. He since has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. Patekikos, I have sent to Ephesus, when you bring the cloak when I left at Troas with Carpus and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander, the carpersmith, did me much harm. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching. At my first defense, No one supported me, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me so that through me their proclamation might be fully accomplished and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was rescued out of the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed. and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet Prisca and Aquila in the household of Vanessavus. Erastus remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick at Miletus. Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you in prudence. and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. I have a friend, she and her husband are missionaries in Africa. A number of years ago, The mother was suffering from cancer. Actually, they were living in Indiana at the time. And at first, they were hopeful. It looked like the cancer that she had was in remission. And then the situation got worse. And it did not look like a good outcome for the mother. And so this woman and her husband and their children decided it was time to come back. It took out short their time in Africa to make a visit back to Indiana. And it was really so that she could see her mother one more time. Because they knew as they were coming, it would be the last time that she'd likely ever see her mother. in this life. And that did prove true. It's hard to me to imagine what it would be like to go through that. Especially after the couple weeks of being here ended and you knew you had to get back on the plane, what it would be emotionally to have to say goodbye. and to leave and board the plane, knowing that in all likelihood you would not see your mother again. The last words that you would say, how painful that parting would be, how hard it would be to head off toward the airport. Well, that's really Paul's situation here, as he writes these final words. These are the last words he ever wrote that became part of Scripture. He writes, knowing that his time is short, that his part of the race, as he has described it, is just about over. The baton is going to be passed on to Timothy to carry on the Christian race, the Christian life, the Christian leadership. And he mentioned in chapter 1 his great longing to see his beloved son of faith, Timothy, just one more time. But there's some doubts here. Will Timothy be able to reach him in time? And thus we have these final words My heading in my Bible is personal concerns, but it's much more than that. It's words concerning the situation. It's words concerning the church and the ongoing welfare of the church. Words that are important to us as well. So we can look and see three things. First is Paul's situation. And one of the things you can notice is that he's basically alone. And he feels the effects of that abandonment. Verse 11 says, only Luke is with me. And now there are some Roman citizens, believers, that he mentions a little bit later. But as he's been used to having this band of Christians with him, ministering with him, alongside of him, a team ministry, that that team, that has often been five or six, seven people, is now just to one dear friend. And he feels it. He feels the pain. He feels the pain of Demas having deserted. And it's really described as because of worldliness. He goes off to Thessalonica, probably to the church there. But rather than staying with Paul, being with him through this, through thick and thin, It says, Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me. And that's the word that was used in the Greek translation of Psalm 22, verse 1. And we already talked a little bit about that as we looked at Psalm 22, that word that Jesus said on the cross, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? It's that same word. Demas has forsaken Luke. The same sort of feeling that Christ would have had on the cross, of being separated from the Father. All uses of the separation from demons. It stands in contrast, if you go back to the last section, to verse 8, those who love Christ appearing. Those whose focus is not on this world, not on being comfortable, not on being safe, but on the age to come. Demas has been a close associate of Paul. But at this most trying of times, when he's being tried for his life, as he appears before Caesar, before Nero, he's thinking about something else. He's thinking really probably about his own life and his own comforts. Imagine how heartbreaking it would have been for Paul to go through this, to see this. to be at the end of his life and see someone he's counted on deserting him, forsaking him. Now, others have left. As you read through, quite a number of them have left because of ministry. And so there are the needs of the churches that are to be considered. Crescent has gone off to Galatia. They have some needs. They need to be encouraged. Titus to Dalmatia. And that's along the coast of the Adriatic. Tychicus is off to Ephesus, probably going and replacing Timothy there, in order that Timothy could come. Erasmus is at Chorus. Trophimus is sick at Miletus. And Nestor, of course, has probably died. It talks about his household and not him. We may not think of it, But whenever ministry takes place, there's costs involved. And especially people costs. Churches have needs. And it's not easy. That's one of the things we need to think about here, is we desire to see a church started in Terre Haute. There'll be costs. There'll be needs. It won't always be easy. People will need to step out of their comfort zone. It's the church. It's administering the community the way in which it should. And thus, although they're out ministering, the effect upon Timothy is, on Paul is to feel deserted and wanting to see Timothy. Or B, is also the situation of imprisonment. He was deserted in court, verse 16, and my first offense, no one supported me. And that would be like a preliminary hearing, you know, the time when they go before the judge or whoever to make sure there's enough evidence for trial. And often in those days, as you'd go for your preliminary hearing, you'd try to get leading citizens to speak up on your defense. And you'd want to have someone who'd be your lawyer, your official advocate, who would argue your case for you. But Paul says, no one step forward. There wasn't anybody to be his legal counsel. There wasn't anybody who would say, I'm, you know, with Paul, I'm supportive. He's a good guy. You don't need to hurt him. Were they ashamed of the gospel? Were they afraid that if they were too closely associated with Paul, they would be arrested and imprisoned just as he was? For whatever reasons. No one was able to be there with him. No one was willing to be there with him. Secondly, he knows that the proceedings are going against him. Paul can see the handwriting on the wall. He knows the verdict will be guilty. You might note that back in verse 8, he calls the Lord the righteous judge. It seems to be an implication that Paul's had to stand before an unrighteous judge, and that was probably Nero. If he appealed to Caesar, he'd be standing in front of the leader of the Roman Empire. And at this point in time, it would have been Nero. It was anything but righteous. And so we would not expect maybe fair treatment at his hand. And Paul knows that. And thirdly, the expected outcome is death. Verse 6 refers to it being poured out as a drink offering. He's facing really a sacrificial death, a death for the sake of Christ, a death for the sake of the gospel. And in verse 18, he expects to be ushered in into Christ's heavenly kingdom. So he knows that his time of departure is soon. And he's going to hear a verdict of guilty, and then with it, he'll hear... He's going to be put to death. It's not a question of what will happen. It's merely a question of when will it happen. And we'll get to see Timothy before that. And thus the second point is Paul's urgent appeal. Essentially what Paul is saying in this section is, come quickly Timothy. Verse 9, make every effort to come to me soon. And that make every effort is really do your best, spare no effort, work hard. It's used in athletics of an athlete putting all their energy into what they're doing. You think of a long distance runner that comes to that finish line and just crosses it and collapses. They have no energy left. They spent themselves to win the race or to finish 7th or whatever it is. Timothy is to be like that in putting his entire effort into coming to Rome to be with Paul. And the reason is that Really, verse 21 is repeated, make every effort to come before winter. Before winter. Winter is the time when he didn't sail. The Mediterranean was too rough, too dangerous, too difficult to navigate. And so, in those days, they wouldn't do any sailing from November until March. Timothy didn't make it to Rome by the end of October. He couldn't come until next April. So he had to make efforts, do all that he could to reach there. And Paul knows if it's next April or May, it's going to be too late. He's not going to be alive. The case will be decided. He'll be put to death. And thus there's an urgency to come at once, before it is too late. And there's a lesson for us today in this, that there are things that need to be done right away, before it is too late. There may be a friend, a relative, a co-worker, that you need to witness to now. You don't know how long they have to live. How long you have to live. Maybe you need to tell someone you love them. Like the missionary. Our missionary friend here wanted to come home and tell her mother one last time how much you loved her. Or maybe a father who says, taking time to be with your children. Yes, you've got your work, and all the rest, but maybe you need to be spending time with your children. Or maybe there's someone you need to ask forgiveness for, that they've done something wrong, and it's been a festering problem between the two of you, And you need to be reconciled. You know, I think of a relatively young man in Bloomington that sort of had an off-again, on-again relationship with his father, and sometimes was in good spirits with him, and sometimes was not, and was feeling very strange from his dad, and very upset with him. You would have maybe read about the case, how his parents were murdered a few weeks ago in southern Indiana. Any chance of reconciliation was over at that point. It's easy to procrastinate, to put off things, to think there will be more time in the future. But you don't know what the future holds, and I don't know. I can guarantee you that one year from now there will be opportunities that are present now that won't be present a year from now. That loved one that you never reconciled with may be dead. That friend needing to hear the gospel may no longer be around. The lesson is there's an urgency, delay, and it may be too late. And I ask you to consider, is there anything that you're putting off? That you're leaving undone, that you really know you should do, but you let the events sit by, and time pass, and it never gets done. That brings us to our third point, Paul's final focus. In these final words, on what note does Paul end his writings? His final focus is really on God. Throughout the book, we've kind of looked and noticed that phrase, Sude, but you. Timothy, the world has been going this way, they're abandoning God, they're sinking into their own pleasures, but you, are to be different. And that's sort of the same theme throughout the book. But the final section has a different book. It's Hodekeiros. But the Lord. Verse 17. But the Lord. And verse 16, you know, Christians are deserting Paul. He's left alone. No one has come to his defense. But then he goes on to say, but the Lord. Paul's hope, your hope, my hope, is not to be in men, but to be in God. Paul can be disappointed that others didn't defend him. He can hope for better. from his friends, from his fellow believers, but ultimately his focus is upon God, upon Jesus Christ, who does not disappoint. And so he goes on to say, but the Lord stood with me. And think of the image. Because on the one level, if you were looking at it as Nero did, you would have seen, if we can believe the historical accounts, a short, balding man with a big nose. was standing in front of you, a man of seeming no importance, and what you would not see, that right beside him was the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the one to whom you will one day have to give an account. And the Lord did two things. He first strengthened Paul in order that Paul could proclaim the Gospel one more time. For the most important man in the world, he could proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not that Nero would repent, but he would hear. Paul remained faithful to his calling. And second, He goes on to say that the Lord rescued or saved or delivered him. From verse 17, out of the lion's mouth, out of death. From death. Only temporarily. In the next verse, Paul's confidence is that that would continue. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed. Not that he'll be saved from death. He knows that it's coming. He doesn't even expect that he'll be saved from death again. But he'll be saved from every evil attack. He'll be rescued out of the power of evil. And that was the trilling point. That the salvation that he has and that he enjoys is eternal. That Satan cannot shake it. Satan cannot take it away in any way. And thus, as we think about the spiritual warfare that's been going on down through our history, and as it even continues to today, we can have the exact same confidence. The Lord will rescue us. He'll rescue you and me from the powers of evil, from their attacks. and will deliver you safely into heaven. And it's because God stands with you, the God who is all powerful. Secondly, as we speak to Timothy in the final verse, we see the focus is on God, and specifically upon God's presence. The Lord be with your spirit. It's really a prayer or call that the Spirit of Christ in His presence would be with Timothy just as He's been with Paul all through his life. And is it known of the Lord's help in times of tribulation, in times of distress, in times of shipwreck, in times of facing the lion's den? So too, Timothy. would know it as he would face his challenges, as he would face imprisonment, as he would face persecution, that the Lord's presence would be with him. And thirdly, Christians generally pointed out God's grace. Paul's final words, our grace be with you. What we don't say in English is that you is plural. At this point, Paul is not talking just to Timothy, but to the whole church. That God's grace would be upon the church. And that's what we need even today. That what grace is really a summary of the good news, what God has done for us, is all by grace. And what you need and what I need is God's grace in our lives. And so, Paul's final thought, final concern in prayer, is for God's grace to be with Christians. But we need to note one more thing. And that's in verse 18, second half. That God would be glorified. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. The ultimate goal of God's presence, of God's grace, of God's sending acts, is to give glory to God. Eternal glory, that we would see the majesty and the splendor of God. They would motivate Timothy, as he thinks about the glory of God, to remain faithful, to be soudé but you, to do what he's called to do, what he knows to do. To stand and live differently than the world. that as he would face persecution, he would not fear men, but he would desire the glory of God. What a way to end his writings. Grace to men, glory to God. It's fitting. Grace to men, glory to God. Let me suggest two applications. First, I'd ask you, is there a matter of urgency in your life? Is there something you know that you've been putting off, thinking, I can do that next month, or maybe in 2010, or just on the road? I encourage you not to wait. There's maybe somebody that you need to witness to. Invite to church. Someone you need to be reconciled, that you haven't gotten along with. Maybe there's a reordering of priorities. Maybe it's simply just to communicate I love you. To somebody close to you. Now is the time to act. We don't know when it will be too late. And second, to have that focus that we see here with Apostle Paul. Focusing upon God. For your need, it's His grace. And so continually be looking to God for His grace. And to know that He's faithful in giving that grace. And related to that, is you seek to glorify God. that all that you do would be done, that God might be glorified. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we want to give thanks how you've inspired your Scriptures, and they speak to us about how to have a right relationship with you, and how we're to live that out. One of the things that we see is there's an urgency. That there are things that we should be doing, not delaying. Help us understand that. What are the priorities? What are the things that are important? And there would be many things that would crowd into our lives. But we would seize those opportunities. that you give to us. And thank you, too, for your grace. That as we look, we need your grace. Grace in the forgiveness of sins. Grace in showing us how we ought to live. And so that we would be men and women who would be looking to you for your grace that's found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And help us ultimately desire to glorify you. That with our words and our lives, you would have a supreme place in our life. And we'd show that others could see it. That we love you, best and greatest of all. That we desire your glory more than anything else.